Metallic stud for resilient wall construction



1, 1967 G. v. BANNING 3,333,390

METALLIC STUD FOR RESILIENT WALL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1965 INVENTOR. GEO/Q65 BAA/N/ VG jir4 BY Arr?! I967 ca. v. BANNING 3,333,390

METALLIC STUD FOR RESILIENT WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN'TOR GEORGE V. 8A lV/V/NG United States Patent assass n METAJLHQ STUD FUR REdilLlliENT WALL CJNSTRTUCTEQN George V. Banning, 7 Tamalpais Ave, Bslvedere, Calif. 94920 Filed Apr. 9, 1965, Set. No. 446,938 12 filaims. ((Il. 552 732) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISiCLOfiURE A metallic stud for resiliently supporting a wall comprising wall support members flexibly connected to a metallic channel by flexible members connected to the channel and supports. In one form the wall support members are provided with bumper flanges to limit the flexing of the supports toward the channel to provide a solid support while the walls are secured by selftapping screws. In another form the wall supports are hollow tubes around which the wires can be attached to hold lathing.

This invention relates to interior walls or partitions for buildings, and more particularly it relates to structural members for use in constructing such walls which are resilient and therefore more soundproof.

In buildings which are subdivided to provide a large number of rooms such as apartment houses, as well as office buildings, the suppression of noise through walls or partitions is an increasingly serious problem. In multifamily dwellings the need for privacy makes sound suppression a particularly urgent problem, and in oliice facilities the requirement of quiet working conditions is equally important. It has long been known that sound transmission through a room wall or partition can be reduced to acceptable low levels by resiliently mounting the rigid surface layer of the partition with respect to the studding or frame members which support it. The prior art contains many examples of attempts by those skilled in the art to solve the problem of constructing resilient wall partitions. However, these attempted solutions were not completely effective and they involved complicated and expensive structural arrangements often requiring a large number of parts, as well as time consuming assembly procedures. Moreover, devices heretofore devised for resiliently securing rigid walls to stud or frame members were also limited in their adaptability for use with the many types of wall making material commonly used in building constructions, such as solid sheet material, wet plaster and combinations of both.

Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a means for constructing building partitions having outer rigid walls with a resiliency that will be highly effective to reduce sound transmission, and yet a partition construction that is less expensive in materials required and easier and faster to install than partition structures heretofore devised.

Conventional building partitions are comprised of a series of regularly spaced apart studs or frame members to which must be attached a layer or sheet of material such as plaster, wood sheets or gypsum board, or combinations of these materials adapted to form a rigid wall surface. When preformed sheets of wallboard such as gypsum board are used, it is preferable that they be easily attached to the studs by fasteners such as screws, and when wet plaster is used for forming the outer wall layer, it must be supported by some form of lathing such as expanded metal mesh material. In order for the partition to have the desired resiliency with any of the aforesaid materials, the layer or sheet of wall material must be attached to the studding so that it is movable with respect to the studs. Accordingly, another important object of my invention is to provide a structural studding 3,333,390 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 member for constructing resilient walls or partitions that can be used with all of the standard forms of wall covering materials. Without the need for any additional components except conventional fasteners, my metallic stud members can be used for constructing partitions using either wet plaster applied to lathing or a suitable solid sheet material such as plasterboard, or a combination of these materials, thereby providing a versatility in partition construction heretofore unavailable.

Another more specific object of my invention is to provide a one-piece metallic stud member having an integral wall supporting portion extending longitudinally along at least one side which provides what may be termed a floating member to which any suitable wall material such as wet plaster or wallboard, or sheet material can be attached. Although this floating member is an integral part of the stud, it is attached thereto in such a manner that it is resiliently movable with respect to the studs, and therefore provides the necessary sound suppression characteristics for the partition.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a metallic stud for constructing resilient wall partitions that is particularly well adapted for ease and economy of manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become readily apparent as the description herein progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary View in perspective showing a section of a double wall partition utilizing stud members embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in section showing one form of stud member according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in section showing another form of stud member according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in section showing still another form of stud member according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in section of another modified form of my stud member particularly adapted for use with wet plaster walls;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in cross section showing anothermodified form of stud member for use with wet plaster walls;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in cross section showing another modified form of stud member for use with Wet plaster walls;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in cross section showing still another modified form of stud member for use with wet plaster walls;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a section of partition utilizing the form of stud member shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view in section showing a portion of another modified form of stud member according to my invention.

With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a resilient double wall partition 20 utilizing structural stud members 22 embodying the principles of the present invention. Such walls are essentially classed as nonload-bearing interior walls or partitions and are used primarily for subdividing larger areas in buildings to form separate rooms or ofiices. As with constructions heretofore devised, the partition 20' generally comprises a series of upright stud members 22 installed at predetermined spaced apart intervals within a channel member 24 which has been secured to the building floor. A similar channel member (not shown) may be secured to the building ceiling to secure the upper ends of the stud members. Attached to opposite sides of the stud members are rigid walls 26 and 28, each being in the form of a layer or sheet of plaster or some suitable wallboard material or combination of plaster-like materials. To provide the resiliency for these rigid walls which is necessary to suppress the transmission of sound through the partition 20, the stud members 22, in accordance with my invention, are each formed in a unique manner with integral longitudinal floating flange portions 30 to which the walls 26 and 28 are fixed.

The stud members 22 may be made from sheet metal such as steel of uniform thickness (e.g., .025) and they may be formed using conventional rolling and forming methods and apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, each stud has a generally channel shaped central portion formed by a central web 32 and a pair of opposite side flanges 34 which extend at right angles from the sides of the web. Along the edges of the opposite side flanges, portions are preferably turned inwardly a short distance towards each other and then back outwardly in the opposite direction. This forms double thickness edge flanges 36 which extend longitudinally and provide increased bending or column strength and rigidity to the stud central portion. The portion 38 of each edge flange 36 which is bent back extends outwardly from the adjacent side flange of the stud at substantially a right angle to it. This is important because it avoids any bulging portions extending beyond the end edges of the side flanges which would make the stud stud member greater in width than the side flanges. Such bulging portions could get bent accidentally and also interfere with the stacking of the stud members in shipment or storage. Beyond the side flange, the portion 38 continues for -a predetermined distance and then is bent or turned 90 to form a portion extending substantially parallel to the side flange. This latter portion comprises the integral floating flange portion St) to which the layer or sheet of plaster or wallboard forming a wall member 26 or 28 is attached.

When each stud member 22 is formed, the portion 38 extending outwardly from each side flange 34 is cut or punched out to form elongated apertures at spaced apart intervals, and between these apertures the portion 38 is formed into a series of integral web members. These latter integral connecting elements 38 are thus spaced apart longitudinally along the stud and support the floating flange 30 while enabling it to be movable resiliently with respect to the adjacent side flange 34 of the stud. When a rigid wallboard or gypsum lath material is used to form the walls 26 and 28, it is preferably secured by means of selftapping screws 39 to the floating flange 30, and the width of the flange 30 is suflicient to accommodate two vertical rows of such screws at the joints of abutting sheets, as shown with the wall 28 in FIG. 2. The connecting members 38 extend outwardly from the central stud portion by an amount that determines the desired clearance between each floating flange 39 and its adjacent side flange 34, and this clearance must be provided to accommodate the ends of the screws 39 so that they cannot contact the stud side flanges 3d.

Along its outer edge the floating flange 30 is turned inwardly toward the adjacent stud side flange 34 to form a bumper flange 49 that terminates a predetermined distance away from the side flange when no force is applied to the floating flange 3t). When rigid sheets such as g psum lath are being attached to the floating flange 30 using the conventional self-tapping screws, for example, the floating flange may be temporarily deflected until the bumper flange 40 engages the side flange 34-, thereby providing a solid support while the screws are secured. Once the screw driving force is released, the flange 3d and the wallboard being attached spring back to their normal position, which leaves the necessary clearance to give the wall floating eflect. Similar turned in flanges 42, which may be somewhat shorter in length, are preferably provided along the inner edge of the floating flanges 30 between the connecting members 38 for the purpose of providing increased stiffness to the floating flanges. In lieu of the stifiiener flanges 42 on any of the stud members of the present 1nvention, I may instead provide a longitudinally extending stiffener rib 43, as shown on the floating flange 31 n FIG. 2.

The adaptability of my stud member 22 to various forms of wall materials is demonstrated at least in part in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the two diflerent walls 26 and 28 are shown. Both of these walls, as shown, have an under layer comprised of a rigid sheet 44 of gypsum lath material secured by self-tapping screws 39 which extend through the lath and the floating flange 30. On the wall 26, the lath 44 is covered by a layer of conventional wet plaster 46. The wall 28, which also demonstrates how sheets of gypsum lath material may abut together on a floating flange, shows the use of veneer plaster 4611 covering the lath.

Normally, each stud member 22 is provided with floating flanges on opposite sides so that the resilient walls 26 and 28 can be secured to opposite sides of such stud members. However, if desired, stud members with floating flanges on opposite sides so that the resilient walls scope of the invention. Since the stud members are formed from relatively light gauge sheet metal, portions of the floating flange can be easily removed whenever necessary to accommodate particular installation requirements.

For certain types of partitions a greater degree of resiliency for the plaster walls may be desirable, and I have discovered that increased resiliency can be obtained by varying the form of the integral connecting members 38, as well as their spacing along the length of the stud members. For example, in FIG. 3, another form of my stud member, designated 22a, is shown wherein each connector member 3811 extending outwardly from a side flange first curves back 180 toward the side flange 34a and then back along a curved edge 48 in an S'type configuration in cross-section before bending to connect with the floating flange 30a. This S-shaped connector member 38a has an increased springiness or resiliency, as well as the necessary strength and, therefore, is highly effective even with lighter and thinner walls. The curved edge 48 of the connector member and a bumper flange 40a on the outer edge of the floating flange are spaced a predetermined distance away from the side flange of the stud so that ample room is left for the floating flange to deflect inwardly when a wall member 28a is attached to the floating flange. A bumper flange 40a, .as in the previous embodiment, provides support to facilitate the attachment of the plaster walls, and along the oposite edge of the floating flange. A shorter flange 42a or a rib member 43 may be provided near the opposite side as a stiffener member, as previously described.

In FIG. 4 a somewhat modified stud member 22b is shown having S-shaped connectors 3811 which are oriented in a position that is essentially rotated 90 from that shown in FIG. 3.

In the embodiments of my invention described thus far, each floating flange 30 is relatively wide, having nearly the same width as its adjacent stud side flange 34. As stated above, this enables my stud composite members 22 to be used conveniently for installations wherein self-tapping screws or other fasteners extend through both the lath and the adjacent floating flange 30. However, this same form of my stud member having any of the described connecting member configurations may be used in the type of wall construction wherein an intermediate lathing, such as expanded metal mesh 50, is first attached to the floating flange member. The lathing 54) is first secured to the floating flange by a series of tie wires 52 located at each aperture between the connecting members 38, .as shown in FIG. 4. Here, the expanded metal or wire mesh type of lathing 50 provides a supporting base for a layer of wet plaster 54 which is applied after the lathing is installed.

In FIG. 5 is shown another stud member 22c of my invention which has a somewhat modified floating wall support member 30c integrally .attached to the side flange 340 of a central stud portion by connector means similar to those already described, and is more specifically adaptable for making conventional metal lath and plaster walls which are also resilient. Here, the floating wall support member 30c is narrower and is folded or curled back along its outer longitudinal edge 56 to form an integral and preferably tubular or rod-like member spaced outwardly from and extending longitudinally at a predetermined distance from the side flange 340 of the stud 220. As with the previous embodiments of the invention, the modified wall support member 390 is an integral part of the entire stud member and is attached thereto by integral connecting members spaced apart along the edges of the stud side flanges. In FIG. 5 the connecting member 38c has a configuration similar to the member 38b shown in FIG. 4, but in FIG. 6, a stud member 22d is shown having a connecting member similar to those utilized on the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. Between the connector members 380 the narrower integral floating rod member 30c provides a convenient structure to facilitate the attachment by tie wires 520 of metal lathing 500. When such metal lathing has been installed, the plaster 54 can be then applied thereto, as previously described.

In FIG. 9, a fragmentary portion of a partition d is shown comprised of the stud member 22d shown in FIG. 6. Here, the latter is supported at its lower end in a floor channel member 58 which has flexible floating flange members 60 and provides a somewhat greater degree of resilient support at the lower edge of the plaster wall.

Other forms of connector members may be utilized with stud members having the integral tubular type wall support members 390. For example, FIGS. 7 and 8 show slightly modified stud members 222 and 22 wherein more than one bend is utilized in the connector members to provide adequate resiliency for the attached plaster walls. In FIG. 7, the connecting member 38c curves first outwardly and then partially back toward the adjacent side flange before forming the rod-like member c to which the metal lathing is secured. The relatively long moment arm on the connecting member 38 enables this configuration to be particularly resilient.

A further modification of my invention, as shown in FIG. 10, is typified by the stud member 22g wherein the central stud portion and the floating flange or rod portion are originally formed separately and then are subsequently connected together before the stud member is installed. Here, a generally channel shaped central stud portion of sheet metal is provided with a main web 62 and parallel side flanges 64 extending from it. Along the end edges of the side flanges 64, the metal is first bent inwardly and then outwardly, thereby forming two flange portions 66 and 68 which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. As far as their stiffening function is concerned, these latter flanges are similar to the stiffening flanges 36 in the previous embodiments. However, each pair of flange portions 66 and 68 are spaced apart a predetermined amount and between them is retained a flat longitudinally extending edge portion 70 of a connectable floating flange or rod member 30g. The latter is also preferably formed of sheetmetal and its edge portion 70 is connected to either a flat floating flange member or a rod-like member by a series of integral spaced apart resilient connecting members 38g which may have any of the configurations previously described. The flat end portion 70 may be secured to the edge flange poItions 66 and 68 before the stud member 22g is installed, either by spot welding, as indicated by the numeral 72, or by any suitable means such as crimping or dimpling. Thus, when so attached, the floating flange 30g is an integral part of the entire stud member 22g. This alternate method of fabrication can be .applied to any of the floating flange or rod-like shapes using any form of integral connecting member within the scope of the invention.

From the foregoing, the steps for constructing partitions which are capable of a high degree of sound suppression should be readily apparent. Even where the bumper flanges 40 on each stud member 22 limit the amount of deflection of the integral floating wall support members 30 during construction of the partition, enough clearance is provided so that the only direct contact of the walls with the central portion of the studs is through the connecting members 38. Since the mass and area of the Wall sections is large compared with that of the connecting members, a relatively small amount of sound transmission takes place between the walls and the central portion of the stud members.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. A structural frame member adapted for use in constructing a building partition with resilient walls, said member comprising:

a main body having a planar central web portion and parallel side flange members extending from the opposite edges thereof;

an integral wall support member located outwardly at a predetermined distance from and being substantially parallel with a said side member and extending substantially the full length thereof and being of less width than the adjacent side member and ending in a free edge;

a plurality of resilient connecting members integral with said wall support member and its adjacent side member, said connecting members being spaced apart at predetermined intervals along the edge of said side member thereby providing for resilient movement of said wall support member and a rigid wall panel mounted thereon relative to the adjacent side member.

2. The frame member as described in claim 1 wherein said integral wall support member has a generally rod-like configuration and extends substantially parallel to the adjacent side wall.

3. The frame member as described in claim 1 wherein said connecting members extend outwardly at substantially a right angle from said side flange and then bend approximately to connect with said floating flange.

4. The frame member as described in claim 1 wherein said connecting members have an S-shaped configuration in cross-section between said wall support member and the adjacent side flange.

5. The frame member as described in claim 1 wherein said wall support member comprises a substantially flat longitudinally extending flange spaced outwardly from and substantially parallel to the adjacent side member.

6. The frame member as described in claim 5 including a bumper flange extending along the outer edge of said wall support member and projecting inwardly toward the adjacent side flange.

7. A structural frame member adapted. for use in constructing a building partition with resilient walls, said member comprising:

a main body having a planar central web portion and parallel side members extending from the opposite edges thereof;

a pair of integral floating flange members extending outwardly and substantially parallel with said side members for substantially the full length of said frame member and being of less width than the adjacent side member and ending in a free edge;

a plurality of resilient integral connecting members between each said floating flange member and its adjacent side member, said connecting members being spaced apart at predetermined intervals along the length of each said side member thereby providing for resilient movement of said floating flange member relative to its adjacent side member.

8. A structural frame member formed of sheet metal and adapted for use in constructing a building partition with resilient walls, said member comprising:

a generally channel shaped body having a flat central web portion and parallel side flange members extending from the opposite edges thereof;

a pair of integral and resiliently connected wall supporting members located outwardly from and substantially parallel with said side flange members for substantially the full length of said frame member and being of less width than the adjacent side member and ending in a free edge;

a series of resilient integral connecting web members between each said wall supporting member and its adjacent side flange member, said connecting web members being spaced apart at predetermined intervals along the length of each said side member thereby enabling each said wall supporting member to move relatively to its adjacent side flange member.

9. The frame member as described in claim 8 including stiffening flanges along the edges of said side flange members, formed by a double thickness of sheet metal, the outer layer of which continues outwardly to connect with said connecting web members.

10. A sheet metal stud member adapted for use in constructing a building partition with resilient walls, said member comprising:

a generally channel shaped central body having a flat central Web portion, parallel side flange members extending from the opposite edges of said web portion, and inwardly extending stiffening flanges from along the outer edges of said side flanges;

a pair of wall supporting members located outwardly from and substantially parallel with said side flange members for substantially the full length of said stud member and being of less width than the adjacent side member and ending in a free edge, each said wall supporting member including a longitudinally extending edge portion secured to said stiffening flange on said side flange, a series of integral connecting web members between each said edge portion and a wall supporting member, said connecting web members being spaced apart at predetermined intervals along the length of each said edge portion, each said wall supporting member being thereby resiliently attached to and adapted for movement relative to its adjacent side flange member.

11. A structural frame member adapted for use in constructing a building partition having resilient walls, said member comprising:

a main body having a planar central web portion, parallel side flange members extending from the opposite sides thereof, and stiffening flanges along the edges of said side flange members, each said stiffening flange including adjacent inwardly and outwardly bent portions forming a longitudinal slot;

a pair of integral wall supporting members located outwardly from and substantially parallel with said side flange members for substantially the full length of said frame member and being of less width than the adjacent side member and ending in a free edge, a flat longitudinally extending inner edge portion secured to a said stiffening flange within said longitudinal slot, a plurality of curved integral web members connecting a said wall supporting member and a said flat edge portion, said connecting members being spaced apart at predetermined intervals along the length of each said inner edge portion and thereby enable said wall supporting member to move resiliently relative to its adjacent side member.

12. The frame member as described in claim 11 wherein said inner edge portion of each said wall supporting member is spot welded to a said stiffener flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,009,268 7/1935 Kotrbaty 52-481 2,166,096 7/1939 Kotrbaty 5248l X 2,169,388 8/1939 Ingram et a1 52-481 X 2,699,669 1/1955 Nelsson 52496 X 2,821,274 1/1958 Olsen 52481 2,958,982 11/1960 Baker 52-496 X 45 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

R. S. VERMUT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STRUCTURAL FRAME MEMBER ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONSTRUCTING A BUILDING PARTITION WITH RESILIENT WALLS, SAID MEMBER COMPRISING: A MAIN BODY HAVING A PLANAR CENTRAL WEB PORTION AND PARALLEL SIDE FLANGE MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM THE OPPOSITE EDGES THEREOF; AN INTEGRAL WALL SUPPORT MEMBER LOCATED OUTWARDLY AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH A SAID SIDE MEMBER AND EXTENDING SUBTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF AND BEING OF LESS WIDTH THAN THE ADJACENT SIDE MEMBER AND ENDING IN A FREE EDGE; A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT CONNECTING MEMBERS INTEGRAL WITH SAID WALL SUPPORT MEMBER AND ITS ADJACENT SIDE MEMBER, SAID CONNECTING MEMBERS BEING SPACED APART AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS ALONG THE EDGE OF SAID SIDE MEMBER THEREBY PROVIDING FOR RESILIENT MOVEMENT OF SAID WALL SUPPORT MEMBER AND A RIGID WALL PANEL MOUNTED THEREON RELATIVE TO THE ADJACENT SIDE MEMBER. 